Carton



June 15, 1965 H. l. ROCCAFORTE CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1963 INVENTOR. HARRY I. ROCCAFORTE Q W ATTURNEYS June 15, 1965 H. 1. ROCCAFORTE 3, 8 8

CARTON Filed July 15, 1963 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARRY I. ROCCAFORTE 14 TTORNE Y3 3,189,248 CARTON Harry I. Roccaforte, Chicago. Ill., assignor to Weyer- This invention relates to an easily erectable carton having bellows panels connecting the side and end walls wherein the bellows panels are adhered to the end walls to form a web between the side and end walls. More specifically, this invention relates to a carton which obtains an even pressure on the web corners for positive gluing of these critical spots on a straight, line gluer, thus completely eliminating any spot gluing and timing of the glueapplicator apparatus.

This type of carton need only be squared to be ready for use. Such a carton typically has the section of each of the connecting, or bellows, panels between the side and end walls that is adjacent to the end wall glued or adhered in some manner to that end wall so that the side walls are forced into an upright position by the bellows panels when the end walls are squared with respect to the base. The carton is maintained in this state by locking the bellows panels in place.

Heretofore, a spot gluing technique has been used to selectively adhere a section of each of the bellows panels to each of the end panels. In this technique, glue is placed on the section of the bellows panels to be adhered to the end wall, but not on the section that is not to be adhered. Since glue is placed over most of the area of the section to be adhered, the technique requires close tolerances on glue placement or the wrong section of a bellows panel might be glued and be adhered to the end Wall. If this happens, the carton cannot be squared. Thus, each new length or width of carton requires a repositioning of the spot gluer, requiring additional time and adding to the cost of the carton. These problems are eliminated by the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carton requiring a minimum amount of time to prepare the applicator machinery for the application of the adhering medium in a straight line manner.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a carton of the type described which eliminates spot gluing for the selective adherence of the bellows panels to the end walls.

These and other objects and advantages will become manifestly clear to those skilled in the art when taken in conjunction with the following detailed description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a blank of the preferred form of the invention.

FIGURES 2-4 are isometric views showing the preferred form of carton in various stages of fabrication.

FIGURE is an isometric view showing the completed version of the preferred form of the invention.

Referring to the figures, the numeral 1 indicates a preferred form of blank for carton 30. Blank 1 is divided by a pair of longitudinal fold or score lines 2 and 3 into a central panel 4 and side extension panel 5. Central panel 4 is divided by transverse score lines 6, 7 and S into a base 9, outer end walls It), inner end wall 11, and base flaps 12. The score line 8 is provided with slits 8 to facilitate ease in folding. The inner end Walls 11 have locking tabs 13 connected thereto adapted to engage edges 32 of side panel to lock the carton in its assembled position.

The side extension panels 5 are divided into an outer wall panel 14 and an inner wall panel 15 by score lines 16 and 17. Transverse score line 6 extends across the United States Patent .portion thereof and joining a vertical cut line 21 which 3,189,248 Patented June 15,

side extension panels 5 to provide bellows fold members 18 which are divided into an upper portion 24 and a lower portion 25 by a longitudinally extending score line 23. Slots 31 are provided between the inner wall panel 15 andthe bellows members 18. l

The bellows members 18 on side extension panels 5 are each provided with a90. out line 19 having ahori- Zontal portionZtl coaxial with the upper end of the outer wall panel 14 extending from the inner end to the midin turn joins a diagonal fold line or perforations 22 extending downwardly and inwardly to the lowerinside corner of lower portion 25 to provide a hinged panel 29.

In cartons of this type, inner wall section 15 and the upper portion 24 of the bellows members 18 are provided with a straight line glue section indicated at 26 and 27. Accordingly, the inner side walls 15 may be bent along score lines 16 and 17 and adhered to the inner surface of the outer side walls 14. Also, the upper portion of the bellows member 18 may be bent along score line 23 and the upper portion 24 may be adhered to the lower portion 25 but above the horizontal portion 20 of the out line 19. It should be pointed out that the glue lines 26 and 27 are coaxial with each other and are placed on the blank 1 by a straight line glue applicator. Thereafter, the straight line glue applicator may be used to apply a second glue line 28 on the opposite side of the upper portion 24 and then the side extension panels may be bent along score lines 2 and 3 to adhere the bellows section 13 to the wall outer panels 10 as indicated in FIGURE 2.

As can be seen, the squaring of this type of carton depends on the selective adherence of the bellows panels. Heretofore, this was achieved by a spot gluing technique in which glue was precisely placed over most of the surface of members 18 but was not placed or would not run onto the portion 29. This precision meant that the carton would cost more because of the additional time that would be required to position a spot gluing machine at the start of a run of cartons and to check the cartons to make sure that the spot gluing mechanism remained in position.

This precise placement of the glue and its attendant difficulties is avoided in the present carton construction. In this construction the glue lines 26 and 27 are placed on the inner face of the inner side wall 15 and bellows members 18. As can be seen in FIGURE 1, a straight line glue application is only required.

Following the above operation, the side walls are folded inwardly along score lines 2 and 3 until they are contiguous with the center section 4 and bellows fold members 18 are adhered to outer end walls 10. This operation is shown in FIGURE 2. In this form the cartons are shipprxl from the carton plant to the user.

The user squares the carton in the usual manner by squaring end walls 14 with respect to the base member 9, causing the side walls also to be squared with respect to the base. Inner end walls 11 are folded over bellows fold sections 24 and 25, locking these sections in place and locking the carton in its assembled condition. The panels are held in position by locking tabs 13 which are inserted behind the edge 32 of the inner end walls 15. The base flaps 12 are contiguous with the base 9.

As may be seen, this carton eliminates much of the machinery set-up time that would be required if the carton were spot glued.

While specific details of a preferred embodiment have been set forth above, it will be apparent that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will therefore be understood that what has been described herein areas-as Z3 is intended to be illustrative only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. A carton comprising a base having upstanding side and end walls;

said side and end walls comprising inner and outer wall members; bellows fold members comprising upper and lower sections with said lower section thereof connecting said outer side and end walls; said upper section of each said bellows fold members being provided with a straight glue line extending across its entire surface and being folded along a score line and adhered to said lower section; said inner side wall members being provided with a straight glue line coaxial with said glue line on the upper section of said bellows fold members and extending across its entire surface and being folded along a score line and adhered to said outer side wall; said lower section of said bellows fold members provided with an angular cut line having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion; said horizontal portion of said out line extending from the inner edge of said lower section to the mid-portion thereof and coaxial with the upper end of said outer side wall and intersecting said vertical portion of said cut line;

said vertical portion of said cut line extending downwardly and intersecting a diagonal fold line extending from the end of said vertical portion of said cut line to the lower inside corner of said lower section forming a hinge panel on said lower section adjacent said outer side wall;

said bellows fold members and said outer side Walls being folded along another score line with said outer side wall adjacent said base and said bellows fold members adhered to said end walls by a straight glue line across the entire surface of said bellows fold members.

2. The carton of claim 1 in which said inner side walls are spaced from said upper section of said bellows fold members by a slot to provide an abutting surface to engage locking tabs on said inner end wall members to lock said carton in an upright position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,772,106 8/30 Miller 229-311 2,03 8,317 4/3 6 Rosenthal 22934 2,157,686 5/39 Ballard 229311 2,220,122 11/40 Ringler 229-34 2,536,530 1/51 Bergstein 22931l 2,768,776 10/56 Weiss 229311 GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARTON COMPRISING A BASE HAVING UPSTANDING SIDE AND END WALLS; SAID SIDE AND END WALL COMPRISING INNER AND OUTER WALL MEMBERS; BELLOWS FOLD MEMBERS COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS WITH SAID LOWER THEREOF CONNECTING SAID OUTER SIDE AND END WALLS; SAID UPPER SECTION OF EACH SAID BELLOWS FOLD MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH A STRAIGHT FLUE LINE EXTENDING ACROSS ITS ENTIRE SURFACE AND BEING FOLDED ALONG A SCORE LINE AND ADHERED TO SAID LOWER SECTION; SAID INNER SIDE WALL MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH A STRAIGHT GLUE LINE COAXIAL WITH SAID GLUE LINE ON THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID BELLOWS FOLD MEMBERS AND EXTENDING ACROSS ITS ENTIRE SURFACE AND BEING FOLDED ALONG A SCORE LINE AND ADHERED TO SAID OUTER SIDE WALL; SAID LOWER SECTION OF SAID BELLOWS FOLD MEMBERS PROVIDED WITH AN ANGULAR CUT LINE HAVING A HORIZONTAL PORTION AND A VERTICAL PORTION; SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION OF SAID CUT LINE EXTENDING FROM THE INNER EDGE OF SAID LOWER SECTION TO THE MID-PORTION THEREOF AND COAXIAL WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID OUTER SIDE WALL AND INTERSECTING SAID VERTICAL PORTION OF SAID CUT LINE; SAID VERTICAL PORTION OF SAID CUT LINE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND INTERSECTING A DIAGONAL FOLD LINE EXTENDING FROM THE END OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION OF SAID CUT 